Do people here really think that the fans of the show are sexually attracted to ponies? That's like saying a fan of Family Guy is sexually attracted to Peter Griffin, or fans of Star Wars are fapping to Yoda. There are a few weirdos who might, and that goes for any show ever made but for the majority of fans of FIM it has absolutely nothing to do with sex in any way. It's just an entertaining cartoon.

I know most of the people saying stuff like that are trolls but I get the feeling a lot of them are serious.

I'm a huge brony, don't fap to the show or much really. Not a pedophile. I don't live in my parent's basement. I don't endorse people who ship ponies or fap to them. I do not endorse R34 MLP fan art. I just love the show and the community. Believe me there are the weirdos that you'll find in any fandom. There's man-children, neckbeards, and basement-dwellers indeed like there are with any group of anything period. We do some pretty awesome stuff though. The art, the music, and the charity the fandom has done is amazing. I just wish some people would take it less seriously, including Hasbro. We've already given them million upon millions in profit they'd otherwise have never received, they should be grateful.

Mike_LowELL:I look at most human biology as "What helped us survive in the jungle?", but I'd be lying if I could figure what sexual selective trait that "attracted to a drawing of a cartoon horse" would fulfill. For that reason, it's tough for me to make a judgment. I dunno. It may weird me out, and I think some of the candor people discuss their "sekrit love" with really weirds me out, but I'm hard-pressed to say that most of the deviance harms me or anyone else. So obviously, if people are screwing kids, for instance, then we have a problem. Consenting adults can pretty much do what they want, as far as I'm concerned.

We share as much with the bonobo as we do with chimps. Bonobos use sex for relieving social tension the way that chimps get aggressive. I would suggest that humans have sexual urges that often are non-reproductive because we obviously are descended from bonobos raping chimps.

Just kidding.

But seriously, sex is obviously hugely important in how we relate to ourselves and to the world. How many non-human female mammals retain secondary sexual characteristics when non-fertile? How many have, in fact, hidden fertility to the point where if you don't have a bunch of hoary knowledge to go on from previous generations you might not even understand how sex and reproduction are linked?

Human sexuality is so far removed from reproduction as to be virtually irrelevant to it. It is fascinating to follow the studies by anthropologists like Owen Lovejoy who is trying to link human sexuality with human bipedalism, or Helen Fischer who enjoys scanning the brains of people in mid-coitus and focuses on the neurochemistry of attraction and love.

There is no "normal" human sexuality except that promulgated by those who seek to control the most powerful urges we have. Because once you control who gets to fark whom or what, you can convince those people to surrender everything else. Biology, reproduction is just a red herring, it is something trotted out because of ignorance and the squik factor. Because people always try to say that they are the "norm" and everyone else "deviates" from it in some way, or are convinced that they are deviants and hide their nonreproductive but entirely human sexual urges from the world until they find a group to identify with.

If there are bronies who act that way I would suggest that it has nothing to do with sexuality like many people define it but simple coded behaviour that trips a sexual urge when confronted with certainemotional stimuli. And while it may be relatively rare in the larger population it is not "unnatural" any more than a big birthmark is "unnatural."

Hand Banana:Do people here really think that the fans of the show are sexually attracted to ponies?

Not really, it's just a really easy way to troll fans of the show. They're not dumb, they fully realize the difference between general fandoms and the deviant subculture every one generates. Hell they're farkers so they probably have more than a few bizarre fetishes in their own closets. They'll either play the clopping or the manliness card in order to provoke some responses, neither of which take a whole lot of effort on their part and are sure to get bites.

TV's Vinnie:Been watching the chan boards on this one. The levels of autism have been the likes of which even God has never seen.

/And I thought furries were a creepy bunch that were easily rattled. They got nuthin' on bronies.

Apropos of nothing, I would challenge you to name ANY chan board that isn't host to the dregs of humanity. I wouldn't take them as a representative sample any more than I would take /v/ as a representative sample of people that play videogames, or God forbid, looking at /tv/ as a representative sample of people that watch television and films.

Why are we suddenly pretending that these kind of people only exist among the bronies?

Probably because it's easier to deride them and doesn't require acknowledging that <insert personally relevant interest here> attracts just as many obsessively-interested people that tend to come off as creepy no matter what character they're dressing up as/admiring.

You make a great point. Jerking off while dressing as a cartoon horse and thinking about cartoon horses is exactly the same as having a cool stamp collection.

A) it's the same as jerking off to a stamp collection.B) there is no such thing as a cool stamp collection.C) so what, girls aren't allowed to have quality fighting games? Fark you.

TV's Vinnie:Kinek: Really. So. Should I start getting out the gay pride parade photos and suggest that it's okay to discriminate against them based on that? Or maybe frat parties?

Yeah. Because being put off by doughy greasy neckbeards rolling in a stinky furpile means I'm a homophobe. Whatever. Why not?

I can personally not enjoy the concept of leather bondage, gay sex, spinach, or watching fox news. That doesn't mean that I believe these things should be outlawed, taunted, or discriminated against because I, personally, may not like them. It just means that I won't participate in any of those things. Doesn't mean I need to go out of my way to be a dick.

The brony phenomenon is an essentially feminine one. I'm not saying it is for girls, far from it. However, the patterns of behavior within the fandom (shipping, fanfiction, strong identification with particular characters,etc) are more typical of female-dominated fandoms. Whether male fans adopt these feminine patterns because it is a show aimed at females, or if men with a more feminine mindset are drawn to the show, is a question that probably doesn't have an answer.

This ties into one of the darker sides of the fandom: the so-called "cloppers" (that is, people who are attracted to the characters). Even this aspect follows a more feminine pattern of attraction. Studies have shown, on average, that women are more attracted to voice, personality, and trappings beyond physical appearance. Likewise, cloppers are attracted not to the fact they are horses, but to what the characters represent as personality archetypes.

Some fans recognize the weirdness of being attracted to a horse, even if you're more attracted to the humanlike personality said horse represents. For that reason, "humanized" versions of the characters are quite common. That is, artistic representations of what the character might look like were they human. Humanizations are interesting as they show their own series of tropes for the individual characters that are almost universally agreed upon, such as Twilight Sparkle being of non-white ethnicity (southeast asian most prominent), or Pinkie Pie being slightly pudgy.

Of course, not all bronies are into this. In fact, it's probably a relatively small part. Most are quite unnerved by the "clop" aspect of the fandom. My own girlfriend finds the very idea that ponies might have sexuality disturbing, while I look at it like an alien culture that just happens to be quadruped. You can't lump all bronies together because like any fandom, there are weird people and fairly normal people. I could write a whole essay dissecting brony culture, but it would likely end up as apologetics since I am a part of it. Long story short (TOO LATE!) clop is not what it's all about, the reason for clop is because of attraction to personality over physicality, and adult girls are part of the fandom too.

ds_4815:Hand Banana: Yes because watching a TV show once a week is totally the same thing as dressing up in fur suits.

To be fair here, I'd wager that furries != fursuiting pervs just the same as bronies != clopping pervs, save for an admitted small yet frequently more visible contingent on either side.

You're mostly right. Most furries don't fursuit, though it may have something to do with expense (Most suits cost as much as a used car).

The question really is, when you have a group of people passionate about anything, and when you coincide that with the natural tendency to be sexual, or to sexualize, does the object of passion happen to incite the sexuality? Or simply be in the line of fire at the time? I'd venture that it's not so much that MLP passion causes sexualized ponies, or that Bronies are inherently perverts, but more along the lines of ANYTHING can be sexualized.

TV's Vinnie:Hand Banana: Do people here really think that the fans of the show are sexually attracted to ponies? That's like saying a fan of Family Guy is sexually attracted to Peter Griffin, or fans of Star Wars are fapping to Yoda. There are a few weirdos who might, and that goes for any show ever made but for the majority of fans of FIM it has absolutely nothing to do with sex in any way. It's just an entertaining cartoon.

I know most of the people saying stuff like that are trolls but I get the feeling a lot of them are serious.

/love the show//not attracted to cartoon horses

Aw, you're cute. You remind me of the furries in 1999 who used to insist "WE'RE NOT PERVS!".

And we all found out that they lied, didn't we?

See, I don't mind it when it is obvious trolling like this. It's the loons on places like Fox news and it's followers that truly believe that nonsense that makes me sad.

Hand Banana:Do people here really think that the fans of the show are sexually attracted to ponies? That's like saying a fan of Family Guy is sexually attracted to Peter Griffin, or fans of Star Wars are fapping to Yoda. There are a few weirdos who might, and that goes for any show ever made but for the majority of fans of FIM it has absolutely nothing to do with sex in any way. It's just an entertaining cartoon.

I know most of the people saying stuff like that are trolls but I get the feeling a lot of them are serious.

/love the show//not attracted to cartoon horses

Aw, you're cute. You remind me of the furries in 1999 who used to insist "WE'RE NOT PERVS!".

ZeroCorpse:I'd say it has nothing to do with sexual interest in ponies, and more to do with pretending (or convincing themselves) to be totally into a girls' cartoon so they can have something to talk about with girls. It's a sort of transparent, sad, and false way to connect with members of the opposite sex, and in more sinister situations, to connect with younger members of the opposite sex.

Well I'd say you're wrong. If I didn't like the show I wouldn't watch it, and the only reason I watch it is because I enjoy watching. I certainly don't do it to talk to girls, what kind of nonsense is that? Great pickup strategy there..."Hi there, I couldn't help notice you from across the bar and I was just wondering, do you like My Little Pony?". Good grief...

As for the "way to connect to younger girls" comment that's just more sensationalist BS. "Oh look he's an adult watching a cartoon so he must be a pervert". Because there's no possibility he just likes the show.

blue_2501:Then why make a illegal game? All fan fiction is illegal. All fan-coded games is illegal and will be shut down EVERY SINGLE TIME! I mean, they have to enforced the trademark, or they will lose the trademark status. That's actually how it works legally. Nintendo does this sort of thing all the time, even for things that they think are pretty cool.

So, why spend all of that time coding the stuff when you KNOW it's going to die a painful death?

Of course once you start leaning on your fans too hard, they're eventually going to decide "fark this" and move on to another fandom where they're allowed to express themselves.

Give them their own island. Build a wall around it. Check back in 100 years and see what horrors they have spawned. Weaponize it. Rule the world.

Actually, let me amend that.Leave the Browncoats and Trekkers (even the 1970s variety) out of it. It's just too cruel to put themme on an island with those people. Instead, give their spot to the Juggalos.

Give them their own island. Build a wall around it. Check back in 100 years and see what horrors they have spawned. Weaponize it. Rule the world.

Actually, let me amend that.Leave the Browncoats and Trekkers (even the 1970s variety) out of it. It's just too cruel to put them on an island with those people. Instead, give their spot to the Juggalos.

blue_2501:So, why spend all of that time coding the stuff when you KNOW it's going to die a painful death?

(i) You think you have some legitimate fair use/parody/"but we're a non-profit!" argument. You're wrong, but you don't know that, so you waste the time; (ii) You think that you can capitalize on the popularity of the IP you're copying to get attention, and once you get the cease & desist, you slap on the new artwork and come out with a "My Little Horsies: Magic Friendship Fight" game trying to skirt around the C&D. You're wrong, but you don't know that, so you waste the time; (iii) You think that you can get media attention and support from the community, because your game will be soooooo great that Hasbro will have to give in! You're wrong, but you don't know that, so you waste the time; and (iv) You're doing it for the press and media attention, but then you'll drop the IP completely and come out with an entirely new property, hoping that enough of the media attention carries over to your new effort. If you're really smart, you were already working on new, non-parody, completely independent artwork and can release the new version within a few weeks.

LordJiro:Theaetetus: TV's Vinnie: Oh, and before any bronies here start sperging, let me point out (as I had mentioned in today's earlier MLP thread), that the makers of Fighting is Magic were caught trying to arrange a secret deal with the folks at Gamespot for a bit of money for every FiM download made. That's when Hasbro decided to put on their Brixton 9000s and plant it up some bronie's hindquarters.

/facepalmWhat did they think was going to happen? On the plus side, a cease and desist is a lot nicer than a suit for $150k in statutory damages for willful copyright infringement and $1M for commercial trademark infringement.

I'm holding out judgment 'til I get a citation. If it's true, then yeah, the ManeSix devs need at least a good dopeslap.

That. If true, or if it had something to do with the EVO 2013 donation campaign, they farked up. A pity they couldn't have worked out a deal with Hasbro for a license to use the trademark.

A damn shame, though. Anyone could have slapped a pony bitmap onto an existing game. These guys approached the fighting game genre seriously. By all accounts, Fighting is Magic was going to be able to stand on its merits as a 2D fighter, not just as a brony thing.

LordJiro:I'm holding out judgment 'til I get a citation. If it's true, then yeah, the ManeSix devs need at least a good dopeslap.

People put games up on Gamespot, and in return Gamespot gives the devs money for every download, even for the "free" games. Gamespot looks at it like advertising to come to their site. A MLP game would have been an advert Bonanza for Gamespot.

When Hasbro found out, they decided to start grasping the reigns a bit tighter (pun intended). This was why they also sent DCMAs to You Tube to take down the "Friendship is Witchcraft" parodies.

LordJiro:Fighting is Magic was nonprofit. No money was being lost that would have otherwise gone to Hasbro.

Legally irrelevant, even if it makes a good emotional plea. Problem is, one, Hasbro has to protect their trademark if they want to retain control of it; and two, a pony fighting game is contrary to the message they want associated with their characters and trademark. Allowing the game would tarnish Hasbro's reputation among their primary demographic, even if Bronies liked it.

If they had a problem with the concept, why didn't they C&D it earlier, instead of waiting 'til it was almost done? Did Hasbro shuffle executives around, because this reeks of a new exec with a bug up his/her ass.

they may have been less upset about it while it stayed on Brony fan sites, but once they started seeking wider distribution through Gamespot, then they had to take action, per above.

Theaetetus:TV's Vinnie: Oh, and before any bronies here start sperging, let me point out (as I had mentioned in today's earlier MLP thread), that the makers of Fighting is Magic were caught trying to arrange a secret deal with the folks at Gamespot for a bit of money for every FiM download made. That's when Hasbro decided to put on their Brixton 9000s and plant it up some bronie's hindquarters.

/facepalmWhat did they think was going to happen? On the plus side, a cease and desist is a lot nicer than a suit for $150k in statutory damages for willful copyright infringement and $1M for commercial trademark infringement.

I'm holding out judgment 'til I get a citation. If it's true, then yeah, the ManeSix devs need at least a good dopeslap.

TV's Vinnie:Oh, and before any bronies here start sperging, let me point out (as I had mentioned in today's earlier MLP thread), that the makers of Fighting is Magic were caught trying to arrange a secret deal with the folks at Gamespot for a bit of money for every FiM download made. That's when Hasbro decided to put on their Brixton 9000s and plant it up some bronie's hindquarters.

/facepalmWhat did they think was going to happen? On the plus side, a cease and desist is a lot nicer than a suit for $150k in statutory damages for willful copyright infringement and $1M for commercial trademark infringement.

TV's Vinnie:Oh, and before any bronies here start sperging, let me point out (as I had mentioned in today's earlier MLP thread), that the makers of Fighting is Magic were caught trying to arrange a secret deal with the folks at Gamespot for a bit of money for every FiM download made. That's when Hasbro decided to put on their Brixton 9000s and plant it up some bronie's hindquarters.

This game hasn't exactly been flying under the radar. It's been pretty heavily hyped in Bronydom for a while now. So either Hasbro are hideously ignorant of the fans, or have just decided to be colossal pricks now for some reason. Either way, they're goddamn morons. When your show has a fandom like this, it's generally considered bad form to shiat on them.

Fighting is Magic was nonprofit. No money was being lost that would have otherwise gone to Hasbro. If they had a problem with the concept, why didn't they C&D it earlier, instead of waiting 'til it was almost done? Did Hasbro shuffle executives around, because this reeks of a new exec with a bug up his/her ass.

Oh, and before any bronies here start sperging, let me point out (as I had mentioned in today's earlier MLP thread), that the makers of Fighting is Magic were caught trying to arrange a secret deal with the folks at Gamespot for a bit of money for every FiM download made. That's when Hasbro decided to put on their Brixton 9000s and plant it up some bronie's hindquarters.

Why are we suddenly pretending that these kind of people only exist among the bronies?

Probably because it's easier to deride them and doesn't require acknowledging that <insert personally relevant interest here> attracts just as many obsessively-interested people that tend to come off as creepy no matter what character they're dressing up as/admiring.

You make a great point. Jerking off while dressing as a cartoon horse and thinking about cartoon horses is exactly the same as having a cool stamp collection.

Why are we suddenly pretending that these kind of people only exist among the bronies?

Probably because it's easier to deride them and doesn't require acknowledging that <insert personally relevant interest here> attracts just as many obsessively-interested people that tend to come off as creepy no matter what character they're dressing up as/admiring.

Because People in power are Stupid:FirstNationalBastard: Because People in power are Stupid: This proves that Hasbro is finally getting serious about taking their show back from adult male pedophiles and giving back to little girls.

I bet you have a van, and offer free candy to children. It's only logical, since you seem know just what pedophiles like.

...must be why you don't watch My Little Pony, too.

Anyway, Fighting may be magic, but copyright infringement isn't.

But by Rubber-Glue vs Smelt-It-Dealt-it corp 1969 when one accuses anyone else specifically of an act -the accusing party is indeed guilty of the crime. However, if someone accuses others of a crime generally -then the accuser is in fact without sin and may cast the first stone.

That was overturned in 1982 by the Supreme Court. Warren Burger himself gave the Majority opinion explaining that he who smelt it, indeed, dealt it and that he who denied it, in fact did supply it. He then jumped up on the bench, threw his robe over Sandra Day O'Connor's, head, and gave her a wicked dutch oven, all the while saying "I don't smell anything."

FTFA: The only real question here is why now? Perhaps the Evo tournament nod was a step too far for Hasbro. The company has been incredibly tolerant and even supportive of the show's mature fan base thus far

Because nobody else was making a marketable product based off of MLP:FiM. That's why. Hasbro's well within its right to do this. Perhaps the developers should've met with the Hasbro execs first? *shrug*